Friday, June 29, 2012

A client asked me to paint two tier tables and she wanted them to be different techniques. I've been wanting to do a side-by-side comparison of chalk paint and wax to regular paint and glaze. So here we go.

Cute little before picture. The drop cloth adds that special touch, doesn't it?

I painted this one with a mixture of Annie Sloan colors to get the 1940s mint I'm in love with right now. Then I applied (and applied and applied, then buffed and buffed and buffed) clear and dark waxes.

My biceps hate me.

(I had the tables in the car all safely wrapped up to deliver when I realized I forgot to take 'after' pictures. A mad scramble followed even though it was High Noon and I knew photos weren't going to turn out well anyway.)

I love the sweet little detail on this table. It was perfect for the chalk paint. Everything was soft and pretty.

I'm loving the 40s green with Old White.

Next up was a slightly taller table with a more tailored look to it. This one got Ben Moore Aura in a warm red and a dark brown glaze thatI mixed myself.

Again with the drop cloth that adds soooo much to the shot. (Side note: I was shaking my super big Krink paint pen this morning and the top flew off. The drop cloth looks even more glamorous with a big rorschach test splatter of black ink added to it ...)

I sanded and stained the trim then painted the rest of the table red. I did 3 coats and wet sanded with 500 sandpaper in between for a glassy surface.

When the table was dry and had cured a couple days I mixed my glaze and had at it. My biceps and triceps like glaze wayyyyy better than wax. I was able to get a nice aged look without distressing. In fact neither table was distressed, they were aged with color.

Oooooo, shiny!

I love both looks. Each has its merits. I'll just let the furniture dictate which paint I use.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Pretty boring as far as mantras go, right? But after yesterday's infusion I learned without a doubt that two days of coffee and diet soda is a bad, bad idea. Oh sure, my brain was saying 'put down the coke.' Me, listen? Not so much.

We haven't chatted about cancer lately have we? I tend to put it in the back of my mind and carry on painting furniture. Lately, tho, it's been demanding my attention. Stupid cancer. I'm busy! Leave me alone!

The new chemo regiment is knarley, especially after a six month break. This isn't the clinical trial I've been waiting for, this is a new mix of old drugs. They mixed a breast cancer drug with 2 myeloma drugs and the result kicks my butt. Fatigue and nausea are my new best friends. The fatigue is why I was chugging caffeine. Not that it works for me, but I really wanted to get some work done of the garage-saleing kind.

Because of the dehydration yesterday, the nurse couldn't get the IV to work. She called the next nurse.

Meanwhile I was happily looking at Craigslist.

Notice the cute green bracelet? I get to wear those almost all the time, so if something happens, I get to go to the first of the line in the emergency room.

The second nurse called the third nurse. The third nurse did no better so
they called another nurse who has always got the IV in first time. (I have valvey, wiggly, rolley veins at the best of times and only a couple nurses can get the IV in on the first try.)

I
think she was kinda shattered when she hit a valve and sent me straight
to the ceiling from the pain. But she got it on the second try - a nice
little vein that wasn't too sludgy. By now you couldn't see much arm through the bandages.

The nurse took a picture for me but she was a little shaky.

Ahhh, almost done. Just waiting for the bag to finish dripping. And this my friends is how I looked when I went to fluff my booth right after, Luckily I'm not self-conscious about it - I actually forgot I was covered in bandages.

I got home dead, stupid tired. And then!! My master gardener, gourmet cook neighbor called and said she was bringing over fresh Garlic Roasted Artichokes. Oh HEAVEN!

They take such good care of me. Actually the whole neighborhood does. We're a cluster of five little farms up a steep gravel mountain road and we all have each others back. With Mr. Bad Rabbit on the road every week it's nice to know I'm not alone up here.

Here is the recipe my neighbor used - you'll have to click through to Pinch of Salt. The artichokes are delicious! I wanted to eat all 4.

Try them with canned Chipotle Peppers or Chipotle Sauce mixed into mayo. Oh yum. That dip was what put me over the edge.

This technique is inspired by Pinch My Salt.
Her instructions are impeccable and accompanied by step-by-step
photographs. I followed her technique exactly. The only difference is
that I used Pasolivo's Citrus Blend Olive Oil
- and she's right, the roasted garlic is great to eat, too! We eat
artichokes a lot, so it was fun to try a different technique.

Wrap in foil and place in the oven with the Artichokes for 1 hour.

Serve with your choice of toppings.

So it was a good day! I fluffed my booth, got to spend hours chatting with my favorite nurses and came home to Garlic Artichokes!

Not bad for a Monday!Oh, did I mention I get to lose all my hair again? I might dye it green again before its all gone.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

I know I'm not alone in loving chippy paint. (Mr. Bad aside, who rolls his eyes at chippy goodness.) I was ecstatic when I found this treasure at a very strange sale. (I'm preparing a post on this odd sale so more on that later.) The woman running the sale was in the eye-rolling camp. She told me just to take it so she wouldn't have to deal with it.

Score!

It even has the foxing on the mirror that I so dearly love. (More eye-rolling from Mr. Bad.)

I kinda let the artist loose on this table. There is thick paint and there is thin paint. About 5 colors are washed over each other. I used my cabinet scraper with restraint but still more than my norm.

The little table is going on etsy. The chippy cabinet is going somewhere safe. The doors will go to a permanent "photo area" TBD. Since they are too heavy for me to move safely.

While I was reveling in chippiness, I remembered seeing a couple bloggers recently show their "signature finish" and it got me to thinking:

When I first started painting furniture I was channeling the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Distressed checkerboards were and still are one of my signature styles. (Yeah, yeah, I know. Me and a couple zillion others.)

The natural crackle I get from mixing natural paints is one of my signature finishes.

Sometimes it peels back to chippy goodness but sometimes not. It's natural and spontaneous and I can't control it. Boy, if I could ....

THIS would be my favorite finish if I could control it AND if it sold. (The table that belongs to this chippy leg is on etsy) It might be too out-there for most people. But I love my green cabinet and I'll keep trying and tryingand trying to perfect chippy goodness.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

I have had an old sewing machine cabinet in the garage for months waiting to be able to test my sprayer on it. Well, I have yet to use my sprayer, although the day is nearing. Meanwhile, Mr. Bad Rabbit has Jeeps to restore and I've taken over the whole garage. Again. Plus there's another elderly vehicle on its way here so the pressure is on!

Paint it, store it, or recycle it, but get it out of his half of the garage. That is the mission.

First up was the sewing machine cabinet since I'd completed the repairs months ago and it was ready for paint. This cabinet had some great carving in the wood, which is why I bought it. But with this piece I was still surprised how paint and wax can take a pretty cabinet and make it friggin' awesome!

Here it is - was.

And a little facelift later ....

The girl has been hiding her beauty!

Ready for her close-up!

Wow. I was going to take her to the booth but guess what? She is happily placed behind the sofa adorned with antique toys. Uh oh.

Now, what to do with the teeny-tiny first-grade school desk that was there? No way can I part with it!

Places my furniture has been featured!

About Me

I am an artist and graphic designer who has fallen in love with painting furniture. This furniture passion has helped me fight a rare and aggressive cancer, for which there is no cure, and I hope I can inspire others as I continue on my journey. I live a happy, creative life on a small farm with my awesome hubby, 3-1/2 cats and 3 mini horses. Plus whatever deer, turkeys, bears, foxes, hares or coyotes that wander by.
I can be reached at bad.rabbit.vintage@gmail.com